It just so occurred! No. 73 became available to rookie guard Christian Mahogany after the former owner, Jonah Jackson, left in free agency to sign with the Los Angeles Rams.
Mahogany has worn No. 73 since high school because it was the jersey number of his favorite player growing up, Hall of Fame guard Larry Allen.
“It’s really big for me,” Mahogany said about being able to keep his high school and college numbers following the first day of rookie minicamp last week. “I’ve worn 73 since I was in high school. I fell in love with Larry Allen’s tape. My father was a Cowboys fan, so I began watching a lot of Larry Allen. He plays like I do.
“It’s hard to say I model my game after Larry Allen. He’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer,” Mahogany admitted. “But I try to emulate it any way I can. Just how he plays, his mentality, who he is as a man and a football player.”
Mahogany said he also watches Trey Smith (Chiefs) and Quinn Meinerz (Broncos), two hard-nosed right guards currently in the league. That’s what Mahogany hopes to bring to the table – a toughness and an edge. That would certainly align with the mentality currently in Detroit’s offensive line room.
“He plays like a bouncer outside of a club, looking to bash heads with power and forceful hands,” Dane Brugler of The Athletic wrote of Mahogany.
